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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

30 March 3 April 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our 'hard power' Security Watch series asks if there's anything new about the US' decision to provide airpower
for ground forces engaged in the fight against Islamic State; how are Algeria's armed forces preparing to fight against
today's jihadist threat; why is Germany so essential to NATO's strategic adaptation; what lessons can be learned from the
'counterinsurgency era'; and what's the significance of the US Air Force's test firing of a winged, precision aerial mine.
Then, in our second, more wide-ranging feature we turn our attention to the issues discussed in the 2015 edition of the
CSS' Strategic Trends series.

Airpower-R-US: The Old, New Way of Doing Business?

30 March 2015

According to John Kuehn, there's nothing new about the US' decision to provide lethal air support to the Syrian and Iraqi
forces fighting the so-called Islamic State. In fact, this American practice has its roots as far back as World War II.More

The Middle East's Thirty Years' War?

30 March 2015

Is the Middle East on the verge of falling into a catastrophic regional conflict? The CSS' Martin Zapfe thinks so. As he sees
it, there's more than just the stability of the region at stake the very concept of the nation-state is at risk in the Arab world.
More

Algeria's Army: On Jihadist Alert

31 March 2015

Putin's Russia: Exploiting the Weaknesses of Liberal Europe

31 March 2015

Jonas Grtz thinks that Russia's aggression against Ukraine poses a threefold challenge to liberal Europe. To start with,
Moscow has already sabotaged the EU's peaceful attempts to transform its neighborhood. It has the added options,
however, of exploiting Brussels' 'weak' economic policies and a growing disinterest in the European project.
More

NATO's Strategic Adaptation: Germany Is the Backbone for the Alliance's Military Reorganisation
1 April 2015

There are three reasons why Germany's role in reinforcing and reorganizing NATO's defense capabilities remains crucial,
writes Claudia Major. Perhaps the most prominent of the three is Berlin's decision to launch the Framework Nations
Concept in 2013. More

Resurgent Radicalism
1 April 2015

What explains the resurgence of radical Islamism in Europe, the Middle East and beyond? Prem Mahadevan's four-part
answer cites the now-familiar 'lone wolf' phenomenon, the so-called Islamic State's alternative to al Qaida's belief in
'borderless jihad', and more. More

The Strange Death of the Counter-insurgency Era

2 April 2015

Vulnerable Frontier: Militarized Competition in Outer Space

2 April 2015

The CSS' Michael Haas thinks that the specter of space conflict will become increasingly prominent in global politics.
That's partly due to the growing number of states that now have the technological wherewithal to field kinetic anti-satellite
(ASAT) weapons. More

Twenty-First-Century Aerial Mining

3 April 2015

Michael Pietrucha believes the US Air Force's recent test firing of a winged, precision aerial mine is a big deal. That's
because the weapon is a potential 'game-changer' in an area of war that looms large today and in the future. More

The Normalization of Cyber-International Relations

3 April 2015

Has the gradual transition to cyber-based international relations had unintended consequences? Myriam Dunn Cavelty
thinks so. By focusing exclusively on state-to-state relations and defending against cyber-attacks, state actors have given
short shrift to other voices and the possibility of large-scale cyber-exploitation. More

// Blog
Everyday Life after Annexation: The Autonomous Republic of Crimea
30 March 2015

It's just over a year since Crimea became part of the Russian Federation. Today, Greta Uehling looks back at the region's
contested past and how its annexation has affected the day-to-day lives of local people. More

What Are the Ethical Implications of Emerging Tech?

31 March 2015

Indeed, what ethical and regulatory challenges do emerging technologies, including new-generation robotics and
neuromorphic chips, pose for global society? Today, Nayef Al-Rodhan uses the World Economic Forum's 'top ten' list of
emerging technologies to explore this question. More

Sick Defense: How to Foster an Affordable, Innovative Defense Industrial Base

1 April 2015

Ryan Brukardt and others believe that the United States has to ensure that its defense industrial base remains innovative
and affordable, especially during economic downturns. This includes fostering 'best in breed' future capabilities and other
initiatives. More

China's Domino Tactics Boost Infrastructure Bank

2 April 2015

Why should the decision by the EU to join China's Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) worry the United States?
The answer, according to John Sinclair, is that it represents yet another step by Beijing to become a bona-fide superpower
that's capable of challenging the Western-led global order. More

Book Review: The Hizbullah Phenomenon: Politics and Communication

3 April 2015

Morgane Colleau believes this recently released text sheds new light on Hizbullah's ability to influence the politics and
security of the Middle East. That's because the authors offer a detailed analysis of how the movement has both legitimized
and marketed itself to domestic and foreign audiences. More

// Video

How the Next Great War Begins

This video explores how art and literature help us to understand the nature of great powers and the wars they fight. In the
last case, the video considers what might trigger "the next great war," what different forms it might take, and the roles
technology might play. More

Confucius: And the World He Created

In this video, author and journalist Michael Schuman discusses his book, "Confucius: And the World He Created," which
reviews the sage's life and the impact his ideas and teachings continue to have on the economic and socio-political
practices of China and other East Asian states. More

In this video, three analysts discuss Graeme Woods' Atlantic Monthly article, "What ISIS Really Wants," which examines
the self-proclaimed religious motives and attributes of the so-called Islamic State. The analysts also ponder the status of al
Qaeda, the Islamist foreign fighters phenomenon, and how to combat violent extremism. More

// Multimedia Content
Here is a selection of this week's additions to the ISN Digital
Library:

Publications More
// Seas of Trouble: Enduring Territorial Conflicts in East and Southeast Asia More
// Political Instability in Zimbabwe
More
// The Power to Influence Europe? Russia's Grand Gas Strategy
More

Videos More
// Artful Balance: The Future of US Defense Strategy and Force Posture in the Gulf More
//US Intelligence in a Transforming WorldMore
Arms Trade, Recent Trends & Looking AheadMore
/Global
/

Audio / Podcasts More

// Does Europe Need a Bigger Military Force?
More
// Implications of the Emerging Anti-Access and Area Denial (A2/AD) Capabilities in the Asia-Pacific
More
// Syria and the US-Saudi Relationship More

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